Gone Girl
by Marjorie K. Place
Summary: When Brody is abducted LaSalle tries to keep it together. Special Appearance by Gibbs.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own the characters, just want to have fun with them!

* * *

><p>12 Hours Missing<p>

Where is she? Chris LaSalle slammed the phone down with such a force that the walls of the old building were vibrating. Twelve hours had now passed since his partner had failed to check-in. Needless to say he was beyond worried.

Burying his face into his hands, the senior agent tried to dispel that idea that his partner was in grave danger but the growing pit in his stomach told him otherwise.

He should have never allowed her to leave the bar last night alone. He'd been so caught up with the idea of Addie Watkins showing up that he never stopped to think that his partner wouldn't make it home.

A search of Brody's home revealed that the place had been ransacked; stuffing had been torn out of the sofa, empty drawers were left open, the contents spilled. Books and knickknacks were thrown all over the place. Even the kitchen had been destroyed. But the worst part was the glass coffee table. It had been smashed to bits as if a human form had been thrown on top of it. Traces of blood were left behind in the tiny particles.

It was enough to make Christopher's stomach turn.

"I should have never let her leave last night," he said verbalizing his thoughts.

"It's not your fault, Christopher, " King returned from across the room.

Pride had already issued an all-points bulletin for the missing agent alerting all state and federal agents but like LaSalle, he was worried beyond belief. Loretta had already confirmed that the blood found at the scene was a match for Brody.

* * *

><p>Blood. Meredith Brody could taste it.<p>

She vaguely remembered the first smashing into the side of her face right after she had stepped into her apartment. The place where the fist had connected with her cheek and nose was blessedly numb but her head was another story. Where was she? What had happened to her? It would take more than a moment to figure it out.

Her mind was fuzzy and filled with cotton as she tried to move only to be met with breath taking pain radiating from her rib cage from where she had been kicked. She loosely remembered the sound of voices and the sensation of hands tugging and prodding her against her will.

There had been more than one person three to be exact. Meredith recognized one of them right off the bat but couldn't place name at the moment. She had tangled with him before while working a case but she was too out of it to put the details together.

Face down, Brody felt the cold air begin to blanket her body.

For a moment she is afraid to move, afraid that they are still there. She waits for another second to pass and comes to the conclusion that she is alone. Rising up on her forearms proves to be a difficult chore as her body begins to scream in pain. Every breath sends a spasm of terror through her. She knows she has to move but her body refuses to cooperate. Rolling onto her back, she lets out groan of protest as again she feels the sensation of rain on her skin.

Rain? She must be outside she reasons as cohesive thought begins to return.

Blindly, she beings to grope the darkness for her gun . It isn't where it should be she concludes, neither is her phone. Nothing is making sense as her mind goes back to the bitter cold that is assaulting her system. Why am I so cold?

She tries to sit up but the pain in her ribs sends her back down to the concrete. Reluctantly, she curls in on herself and bites down on her lip, causing it to bleed again. The sound of footsteps teases the outer edges of her mind but don't really register until she feels a hand brush her cheek.

Against her will her entire body jumps with fear. Inwardly she curses herself for being afraid but subconsciously she knows she's in a situation she can't get out of. She wants to fight back but she can't. They've done something to cloud her mind; she reasons as a set of hands roughly pulls her upright.

* * *

><p>Pride was at his desk when he received a conference call from Gibbs. Pride attempted to quickly end call until the NCIS Agent's face appeared on the screen.<p>

"Can't talk right now Gibbs, one of my agents is in trouble."

"I know," Gibbs answered. "I just received a message"

"What do you mean?" Pride asked waving LaSalle over.

"It has to do with a case, Brody and I worked on a couple of years back."

Pride's brow furrowed. "What happened to my agent, Gibbs?

LaSalle's stomach began to turn as a video of partner appeared on the screen. She was tied to a chair and blindfolded. Face bruised and clothing torn, Christopher could tell she had put one one hell of a fight. But nothing could prepare Christopher for what he saw next. She was surrounded by three faceless figures, holding 5 gallon buckets.

A fourth figure appeared behind her grabbing her short sprigs of dark hair.

LaSalle felt himself flinch as he watched her captor yank her head back and cover her face with a thin white cloth. The three other men then took turns in dumping buckets of ice water over her face and head. They were waterboarding her.

But why?

Gibbs appeared back on the screen. "It goes on for another ten minutes."

"What do they want?" Pride asked.

The pillar of calm, Gibbs explained that the men in the video for looking for woman that Gibbs and Brody had placed in the protective custody. The woman had been married to member of Al Qaeda and had been willing to give up secrets in exchange for new life.

"Does Brody know where the woman is?"

"No," Gibbs answered.

"They're going to kill her for what they think she knows," Christopher muttered sickly.

"Not before they attempt to make a trade," Gibbs replied.

"A trade?" Pride asked curiously?

"I've been instructed to meet them at place off of Old Plantation Road in 48 hours."

Old Plantation Road? That meant, Brody was still in somewhere in NOLA.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you to those who commented and put this story on alert.

**Chapter 2**

**18 Hours Missing**

"Watching that video over and over isn't helping Brody," Pride commented as he walked over to his senior agent.

LaSalle turned off the monitor. King was right. It wasn't doing him any good to just sit there and watch his partner be tortured. He needed to do something. Rising to his feet, LaSalle grabbed his jacket.

"I'm going out," he told Pride.

"I need you here," Pride returned in a commanding fashion.

LaSalle felt emotion start to boil up in his chest. Every moment he sat there waiting was like a new kind of torture. "Damn it, King! Didn't you see what they did to her?"

Pride placed a mollifying hand on the younger man's shoulder, "I saw it, Christopher."

"I just feel like we need to be out there doing something," LaSalle returned quietly.

"I know," Pride returned, "But we have our orders. Director Vance wants us to wait for Gibbs."

Gibbs wasn't due in for another three hours LaSalle fumed silently. He'd been an agent long enough to know that three hours could mean the difference between life and death. Statistically, most kidnapping victims were killed shortly after proof life had been given.

"These things take time, Christopher. You know that." Though his personality would never allow him to show his true emotions, he was just as torn up inside about Brody, if not moreso, unlike LaSalle, Brody was his responsibility.

LaSalle nodded his head. He knew Pride was calling the lab every half hour for updates and riding Agent Plame.

Plame was processing the video as fast as humanly possible to check for possible clues that might lead them to Brody.

Hell, LaSalle watched the video at least a thousand times, so much that he had every sound and scene memorized. He just hoped to God that Plame would find something that he had missed.

"I'm just going back over to Brody's and see if we missed anything." LaSalle commented.

Pride nodded in approval. "Let me know if you find anything."

* * *

><p>For several moments, Chris stood outside the doorway of Brody's apartment staring at the yellow police tape trying not to picture the mess that was inside. Over the years, he had seen hundreds of crime scenes but nothing disturbed him more than this apartment.<p>

Ducking over the tape, LaSalle stepped into the living room and began re-evaluating the mess. Maybe they'd missed something the first time around? A sample of dirt? A stray fiber? A hair?

Kneeling, Chris spotted a picture frame that had been broken in the scuffle. The picture was from Halloween. He was dressed as the Baconator and Brody was the Freudian Slip. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me," he said, looking at the picture.

"Don't blame yourself, Christopher," Loretta's voice boomed from the doorway.

Rising to his feet, LaSalle set the picture on the end table next to the couch. Ironically, it was the only piece of furniture that hadn't been destroyed.

Pivoting he met Loretta as she stepped inside. The ever growing knot in his stomach was getting tighter. Seeing Loretta in Brody's apartment made him think that they had found a body.

"What are you doing here, Loretta?"

"Pride called me," she smiled. "He thought this place might need a fresh set of eyes."

Chris gave her a slight smile of relief. If one was certain, Loretta was an expert at observation.

* * *

><p>Brody couldn't help but gasp for air as her captors tossed her onto the hard concrete floor. The fluid in her lungs burned with every breath making her feel as though she were drowning. Unconsciously, she shivered as her wet clothing stuck to her flesh. The ice water along with the wintery air had caused her body temperature to drop which in turn was doing a number on her system. She would be going into shock soon and if that happened she wouldn't be able to guarantee that wouldn't give up the location of the woman they were seeking. Although she didn't know the woman's exact location, she did know which agents on security detail held the information.<p>

If her captors were smart, they would know that Gibbs was never going to show up with the mark. They would be better off trying to get the information from her. Unless…

_They wanted something else_.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken by the sound of a heavy metal door opening. Against her will she stiffened. Were her captors just now leaving or were they coming back? The sheer thought made her stomach muscles quiver.

A human form kneels beside her and her fear intensifies. Her first thought was to pretend to be unconscious but she knew the sound of her heavy wheezing would give her away. She begins to tremble as a human finger begins to trace her jawline.

"I'm very sorry about earlier," a man whispers. "We had to put on a good show for your colleagues. They're probably wondering if you're still alive."

A pregnant pause lapsed as Brody continued to tremble. Why was he telling her this?

The male form rises to his feet. "What if, we give them something to ease their conscious? Perhaps you would like to call them?"

* * *

><p>A somber looking Pride greeted Gibbs as he entered the usually upbeat office.<p>

No surprise, the famous NCIS agent had come alone. Pride never believed for a moment, that the Agency would make an actual trade for Brody's life. He was a little taken by the fact that hadn't sent in another female agent to play the part.

Gibbs took his friends hand and the two men exchanged pleasantries.

"How's Linda?" Gibbs asked trying to lighten the mood.

"We're separated," Pride returned watching his old friend's face fall.

"Sorry to hear that. If you need a good divorce lawyer, let me know," Gibbs said not missing a beat.

Pride gave his friend a crooked smile. "It hasn't quite come to that. We're just taking some time."

"That's the first step," Gibbs quipped under his breath before getting down to business.

"Where's LaSalle?"

"He's running down some leads with Loretta." As it turned out, Loretta had been able to find some additional hair samples which being tested at the lab.

"Is he going to be able to handle this?" Gibbs asked. He could only imagine what the younger man was going through. It was always hard when the life of one of your own was the line but Brody was his partner and she was new to the team. She was also female which always made these situations hard. It was bad enough knowing that one of your "guys" was being tortured, but when it came to a woman, the personal angst was always tenfold.

Pride opened his mouth to speak, but his thought was interrupted by agent Plame's voice. "Pride, we just picked up a ping from Agent Brody's cell phone! "

Both Pride and Gibbs scrambled up the stairs to Plame's cubical.

"It came online about 10 seconds ago," Plame told them. "Signal's coming from a tower in the Lower 9th Ward. According to this a call is being placed to one of the cell phones registered to this office."

"Which one?" Pride asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"LaSalle's"


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Again, many thanks to those who have reviewed and put this story on alert. **

**21 hours missing**

"I'm very sorry about earlier," a man whispers, "We had to put on a good show for your colleagues. They're probably wondering if you're still alive."

A pregnant pause lapsed as Brody continued to tremble. Why was he telling her this?

The male form rises to his feet. "What if, we give them something to ease their conscious? Perhaps, you would like to call them?"

Brody's first thought was to tell him to go to hell but given her situation she would only wind up in more pain. An expert in interrogation, she knew what they doing. They were going to use Pride and LaSalle in order to get her to reveal the location of the woman they were seeking.

"C'mon Merri," Her captor was now stroking her hair. "We need another proof of life. What better proof than the sound of your voice?"

Brody squeezed her eyes shut, kicking herself mentally; she had been trained not to show fear.

"Why don't we start with your partner?"

"Nooo!" She croaked. "He's not a part of this!" This was between her captor and Gibbs. Chris didn't know anything about the circumstance that had brought her here.

* * *

><p>LaSalle was on his way back to the field office when his cell phone rang. Using his hands free system, he answered, keeping his eyes focused on the road in front of him.<p>

"LaSalle," he answered without thought.

There was slight stretch of silence followed by sound of Brody's ragged voice. It was barely audible, but it was definitely Brody and someone was hurting her.

LaSalle weaved dangerously off the road, slamming on the breaks. "Brody!"

"Agent LaSalle," an unfamiliar voice greeted with Middle Eastern accent. Unfamiliar but not unknown; Adkom Fod was the reason he was searching for Brody.

LaSalle's voice was angry. "Put Brody back on the phone!"

"Not until you deliver my wife," Adkom replied. Fod was a smart man. He knew the odds of Gibbs actually showing up at the meeting site with his wife were slim.

"And if I don't?" Chris returned trying to keep his anger in check. He knew as soon as the words left his mouth they were a mistake, but he needed to keep Fod talking.

A snicker travelled through the line. "Do you know what happens to American women in my country?" Fod paused for affect. "Perhaps you'd like me to send you another video?"

"You sick bastard, you touch her one more time-!" LaSalle's voice cracked with anger and fear. His partner was in the hands of a psychotic mad man and he was helpless to anything about it. He literally had no choice but to hear the man out.

Chris felt his heart begin to hammer in his chest as the man began to speak in detail causing the agents blood pressure to rise. He had never been one to negotiate with terrorists but with Brody's life in the balance he had no choice.

* * *

><p>Back at the field office, Pride put LaSalle on speaker.<p>

"Were you able to get a location?" the younger agent asked hoping he'd kept Fod on the phone long enough to pin point his location.

Although, the signal had originated in the 9th Ward it soon began to triangulate all over the city, changing IP addresses faster than Plame could strike his keyboard.

"He's playing with us," Gibbs returned,"just like we did with him." Securing Fod's wife had not been an easy task, in fact the agency had lost several good agents trying to play a game of hide and seek. Fod had men stationed everywhere making finding a secure location a logistic nightmare.

And Agent Brody had the scars to prove it. She had volunteered to interrogate Fod's wife, Sophia. By doing so, she had learned everything about the Israeli born trophy wife; her moves, the perfume that she wore, her clothes, the food she liked, everything she needed to lure the unsuspecting terrorist into a tangled web in which Brody would never be able to undue.

"Brody distracted Fod so that we could pull Sophia out. She ended up taking one for the team," Gibbs said with a tone of indifference that made Pride raise an eyebrow. There had been nothing in Brody's file about Fod save for a big CLASSIFYED stamped in red.

"He's never going to let her go," Pride dared to say out loud.

That's why we have to find her before it's time to make the exchange.

* * *

><p><strong>36 Hours Missing<strong>

Hours pass. Darkness falls and the sun rises again. LaSalle is exhausted he hasn't eaten or allowed himself to sleep in nearly 36 hours. Running on nothing but fear and adrenaline he drives around calling upon every contact he has on the streets.

In his mind, he keeps replaying the video, the sound of Brody's broken voice echoes constantly. He wonders if she's still alive. Forcing himself to think better thoughts, he conjures a picture of Brody with her large chestnut eyes and pixie haircut. He usually doesn't like short hair on women but his partner is the exception. Tall, slender, athletic, she's almost one of the guys only she's not she's Brody.

You're letting your human side show his conscious berates as his cell phone comes to live.

Addie Watkins. He looks at the screen debating whether to answer. Maybe talking to Addie will do some good he reasons, taking the call.

"LaSalle"

The sound of Addie's voice becomes the ray of hope he's been looking for, a Navy issued drone captured a screen shot of Fod's number one man at the Avalon shipyard 20 miles outside of NOLA. It wasn't much to go on but it was a start.

* * *

><p><strong>30 minutes later<strong>

Pride, Gibbs and LaSalle lead a SWAT team through the shipyard. They managed to make contact with a dock worker who directs them to a 40 foot storage trailer. Without a sound the team manages to surround the container, weapons ready, while the NCIS agents take the door.

Pride holds his index finger to lips, as Gibbs pulls the door open allowing LaSalle to toss a bomb of tear gas inside. In a less than a minute four men emerge hacking and gasping for air.

"NCIS! Don't move!" Everything happens in rush as the men are forced to the ground and cuffed. Thanks to Addie's Intel they have secured the operations center for Fod's Louisiana and Mississippi ventures.

Heat pounding, Chris walks down the line until he comes to the man in the picture. "Where is Agent Brody!?" he demands, yanking the man upright by the shirt.

An evil smile spreads across the man's face as he notices the desperation in LaSalle's eyes.

"Dead," the man replies with a sneer, "but trust me, she died a very happy woman."

He knew shouldn't let the man get to him but rage was controlling him now. In one swift movement, LaSalle landed a right cross to the man's jaw, earning himself a headlock from Pride.

"Don't let him get to you," Pride spoke calmly as the younger agent struggled to get free. "He isn't worth it! " For several seconds, Pride held tight to his young protégé while LaSalle fought to get his emotions in check.

"Brody needs us, Christopher. You won't do her any good if you're locked up in a cell for harassment. "

With that, LaSalle relaxed slightly, "I'm good," he growled, allowing Pride to loosen his grip.

When the smoke cleared, the three NCIS agents entered the storage container. Inside they found the typical network for an operations center. Everything Fod needed track down his wife, plus a little arms dealing and drug trafficking on the side.

Inching near the back, there was a small area that was sealed off by a couple carefully hung shower curtains. Behind the shield, they found a folding chair, a pair handcuffs and a four gallon sized water buckets. On the floor, lay a grey scarf that Brody had been wearing the night of her abduction. Next to it was her cell phone. It had been smashed to bits.

"She was here," Gibbs said stating the obvious as LaSalle picked up the scarf and stuffed into his pocket.

"I want every trailer searched!" Pride ordered not noticing the pensive expression that had just crossed over his old friend's face. The sound of an approaching helicopter has triggered something.

"Gibbs?"

There were two ships in dry dock for waiting on repair requisitions.

"She's on one of these ships."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

For several minutes both teams watch the approach of the helicopter, if Gibb's calculations were right the helicopter was servicing as a means of escape for Fod.

Gibbs was so focused that he almost didn't realize that his phone was vibrating at his side.

It's McGee.

Still focused on the helicopter, Gibbs answered the call. "I'm in the middle of something-"

McGee cuts of him off. "This is important, Boss. I just got a call from Sophia Fod's handler. Sophia got wind of Brody's abduction on social media and slipped out. They've lost her. He thinks that she's on her way to New Orleans.

Gibbs remained silent processing what McGee had just said.

"Boss?" McGee's voice came back.

"I heard you, Tim," Gibbs replied in only a way that he could. He would deal with the issue when and if the time came. But first he needed to get Brody back alive. If he didn't Sophia Fod was as good as dead.

* * *

><p>Brody fights to keep her eyes open but they refuse to cooperate. She's standing up right but not of her own free will. Her hands are secured up above her head with zip ties to an overhead pipe. Her toes barely touch the floor. She takes in a breath and is met with an excoriating pain. She has to sneeze but is afraid of the pain it will cause. She knows at the very least she has a fractured cheek bone, a concussion and broken clavicle. Through she is fully clothed, she is freezing. She's so cold that she can't feel the lower half of her body.<p>

Cold and alone, she knows she is going to die here. But not before Fod and his men come back to take another crack at her. Brody knows that she is more than an item to trade for Fod's wife. She's a sacrificial victim for revenge. Fod wants to make an example of her. He wants the entire agency to see her suffer.

_And why shouldn't he? Her mind taunts, you are the one who is credited with turning his wife against him. _

An underling approaches her and inspects her lifeless body. They've done everything they can aside from killing her. Her body is covered in bruises and lacerations, and broken bones. She won't last much longer he sneers, knowing that she already has one foot in grave. He thinks Fod should just get it over with and dump her in the Mississippi River.

Before he leaves he lands a backhand across her already fractured cheek.

She sees stars and feels the bones in her face explode but refuses to give even so much as a whimper. She prays silently that he doesn't decide to snap her neck.

* * *

><p>Outside, a quickly formulated plan is put into place. Gibbs and three of the SWAT team members will take the ship on the East side of yard, while Pride and LaSalle along with the remaining SWAT officers will take the ship on the West.<p>

EL Diablo, LaSalle grunted inwardly as he noticed the name of the ship. It shouldn't have even dawned on him but give the situation it was appropriate. Guns drawn, LaSalle and the team swiftly board the vessel, without so much as sound. Once on board, the team splits up.

"Radio me if you find something," Pride orders looking at his number one. "I don't want anyone trying to take on Fod alone."

LaSalle gives Pride a nod and disappears down a corridor that leads to a set of stairs. Carefully, he descends down the stairway to the lower level of the ship. Darkness engulfs him. He pulls out a flashlight following its illuminated path.

Everything on the ship appears rusted. Must of have taken on water at some point he surmises as he comes to a watertight door. The door has a rusted chain across the front, yet the wheel has a fresh coat of red paint.

LaSalle pulls the flashlight across his body so that the other doors come into view. There are two. Both slate grey with peeling paint. No chain.

The door with the red wheel was being used for something. Fishing his radio from his belt, he speaks quietly.

"King."

Static replies.

"King, come in."

Again, static.

Interference, he sighs, slipping the radio back onto his belt. He won't go back upstairs just to tell King he found a painted a door not until he has something concrete. Placing the flashlight between his teeth, LaSalle quickly removes the chain and begins to work the wheel. He is surprised at how easily it turns against his grip.

A warning light goes off in his head as the door opens without so much as a creak.

There are more stairs which he conquers quickly. At the bottom a dim light paves way to what appears to be the boiler room. Dust covers most of the equipment and tickles LaSalle's nose. Weapon trained he continues to move forward until the sound of a human presence stops him.

He isn't alone.

A weak cough catches his attention and his heart jumps. Lowering his weapon, he pulls the flashlight and strains to see into the dim light. And then he sees her.

_Brody_

As he moves forward he begins to notice the blood and the bruises on her face. Her clothing is mostly intact but torn. Her head hangs at such an angle that it makes his heart pound in fear. She looked dead.

With a trembling hand he gently touches the carotid artery in her neck. A huge smile spreads to his face when she jerks to his touch.

_She's alive!_

Trembling in fear she begins to jerk violently until she hears the sound of his sweet southern Alabama accent.

"I've got you, Michigan. You're safe." He says gently palming the side of her face with his hand.

She tries to speak but her voice is completely gone. All she can do is tremble. The pain is too much as she wants to do is let go.

Holstering his weapon, Chris reaches into his back pocket and draws out a knife. He just begins to cut through the zip ties that are biting into her wrists, when he hears an all too familiar click of an assault rifle.

Whirling around, LaSalle draws his weapon but not before the figure fires off a round straight into the agent's chest.

The sound of the bullet tearing into her partner's Kevlar momentarily brings Brody back to the present just long enough to see LaSalle thrown several feet before collapsing onto the concrete.

* * *

><p><strong>One Hour Later...<strong>

At the hospital, Brody fades in and out. During the brief moments of consciousness, her eyes frantically search for LaSalle. But he isn't there.

Instead, hospital personnel are all around her. Words come and go but she isn't able to process them.

_Secondary drowning, cerebral hematoma, multiple fractures, possible internal hemorrhage. _

A nurse sticks her with a needle in an effort to start an IV line. "I can't get it in. She's too dehydrated."

"Let me try," Loretta says gently as the fallen agent's pop back open.

"You're going to fine," the kindly medical examiner soothes as she finds a willing vein just above Brody's left elbow.

Frantic, Brody begins to claw at Loretta's pale blue scrubs. The movement sends a jolt of unforgiving pain from her collar bone. Tears begin to shed.

"Chris?" She whispers too low for Loretta to hear. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she senses her partner in is trouble. The details are fuzzy but she remembers a combination of his accent combined with the sound of gun shots. The next clear memory is waking up here, in the E.R.

Sensing the agent's fear, Loretta drops a hand of comfort into Brody's short hair, ignoring the fact that it is matted in blood. "You're going to be fine, Merri." She smiles as a second nurse placed an oxygen cannula over Brody's face. Hot tears sting her eyes, she's thankful she's alive but at what cost?

_A/N: Sorry to leave you all hanging about LaSalle, but I'm kind of pondering. Suggestions welcome!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Neither Brody or LaSalle heard the shouts as Pride and the SWAT team entered the boiler room with Gibbs on their tail. The sound of the assault rifle had brought NOLA's finest down upon Fod's number one assassin. _

_But by the time they arrived the man was left with nothing but a slew of bullet holes peppering his lifeless frame._

_Somehow, LaSalle had managed to empty his clip before succumbing to his own fate. _

_"Agents down!" Pride shouted before going to the aid of his senior agent while Gibbs attended to Brody. _

_"Christopher," Pride checks his breathing and then goes to work on the Kevlar,. No penetration of the skin, no blood but a hell of a lot of bruising. One thing for certain, this boy was going to be in a world of hurt when he woke up. _

_ Pride rubbed his knuckles against the younger agent's sternum earning a weak response as he twisted away from the pain. _

* * *

><p>"I told you I'm fine, King," LaSalle moved gingerly. A bruised sternum and three cracked ribs had him moving at turtle's pace. Pride had ordered him home after his discharge from the ER but Christopher refused. With Fod in the wind, he sure as hell wasn't going to sit around at home.<p>

"You haven't slept in days," Pride tried to argue.

"Says the pot callin' the kettle black," LaSalle retorted as he started to enter Brody's room. Normally, he would never go against King, but this time was different. For more than a decade it had been just he and King. He and Pride had always looked out for one another and now that Brody had come on aboard, Chris felt obligated to look after her too.

Once inside, LaSalle found Gibbs sitting in the chair next to Brody's bed.

"How is she?" he asked making his way to foot of the bed.

"They gave her something to help her sleep which is what you should be doing."

"You're as bad as King."

Gibbs picked up a cup of coffee from the nightstand and took a sip. "You can stop playing the part of the hero. You did your part. Your partner is safe."

"A hero would be out lookin' for Fod," LaSalle remarked.

Gibbs took another sip of his coffee. "We don't need look for him. He'll come to us."

LaSalle raised an eyebrow. "You think he's still wants something from Brody?" Fod would have to be a complete lunatic to come after Brody in the hospital. Every law enforcement agency in Louisiana was covering this place. The hospital was crawling with agents, NCIS, FBI, Homeland Security; no one was getting passed the parking lot without an ID check and a pat down.

"Nope," Gibbs took a final swallow of his coffee and then tossed the cup into the trashcan before pulling to his feet. I want an ID check on everyone that comes in here including hospital personnel."

LaSalle's brow furrowed. "You're not going to fill me in?" Gibbs seemed pretty confident that Fod would make an appearance.

Gibbs looked down at Brody before making his way to the door. "It's not my story to tell."

LaSalle managed to ease himself into the chair that Gibbs had vacated and tried to ignore all of the warning signs that his body was giving him. He was in pain and half tempted to steal his partner's morphine drip.

But instead, he found contentment in just watching the rise and fall of Brody's chest as she slept. He couldn't help but notice how frail she looked. The bruises on her face were accented by the glow of the sterile white sheets. Fod had really done a number on her. LaSalle could only imagine what her mental state was going to be like once she recovered from her physical injuries.

Whatever it took, he was going to see her through this.

_Don't worry, Michigan. No one is going to hurt you on my watch_.

* * *

><p>It was somewhere around midnight when LaSalle motioned to the FBI agent stationed outside of Brody's door. As sore as he was he needed caffeine. He was never going to make it until morning without some sort of reinforcement.<p>

"Gim'me about 30,"he told the agent as he painstakingly started down the hall. He had just stepped onto the elevator when he saw a woman pause a Brody's doorway. The woman was dressed in jeans with strappy sandals and long-sleeved floral blouse. Her face was covered by a Hijab.

She looked around cautiously and slipped inside.

The elevator door started to close, forcing Chris to block it with his arm.

Where was the FBI agent? Looking down hall, LaSalle noticed the agent. He was on his cell phone, back to the door.

His own physical pain was no longer a concern as he sprinted back down the hall. A move in which he was certain that his body would make him pay for later.

Warning lights went off in his head, prompting his hand to slide to his service revolver. Shouldering the door, he found the woman hovering over his partner.

"Move away from agent Brody," he stated, weapon trained.

Startled, the woman straightened. "Do you work for my husband?"

Husband? LaSalle was thrown a little bit but didn't waver. "I'll answer that as soon as you step away from agent Brody." The fact that she asked about her husband should have been a clue but he was so tired and in so much pain that it didn't register. All he knew was that he needed to continue to protect his partner.

"Agent LaSalle, meet Sophia Fod," Gibbs entered the room with the FBI agent at his heels. "AKA Sophie Ann Brody"

Did he just say Brody?

"Merri is my sister," Sophia explained removing her Hijab to reveal her long flowing black hair.

"Sister?" LaSalle looked like he had just been punched in the gut. Now, he might be hick from the South but he could put enough together to know that Brody looked nothing like this so called sister.

"Adopted," Gibbs stated plainly before launching into the short version. Meredith's father worked for the department of defense in Israel during the 1980s. Palestine troops had invaded a small village outside of Tel Viv wiping out nearly the entire town save for a few children. Rather than seeing the children wind up in the hands of Israeli courts, American workers claimed them as their own.

"What happened to Merri?" Sophia demanded.

"Your husband is what happened to her!" Gibbs bit back sharply knowing it was just a matter of time before Fod and or a band of his men showed up.

Sophie's face was crestfallen.

"You know the rules Sophie," Gibbs spoke softly as her handler entered the room.

LaSalle waited to voice his thoughts until Gibbs and the handler had escorted Sophie from the room. Looking down at this partner, a small smile crossed his lips. "You are definitely a woman of mystery, Agent Brody."


	6. Chapter 6

Curious to know more about this mystery sister, LaSalle followed Gibbs and the handler back to the office where the master agent began to make a game plan for safely relocating Sophie.

"I don't want to go back!" Chris heard her say in a distinct mid-western accent. He listened intently as Sophie began to argue with the handler and Gibbs.

"You bastards are supposed to look after my family!"

"This isn't our fault!" The handler returned. Clearly, she had hit a nerve.

Whirling, Sophie let him have it. "Not your fault? This is the 2nd time in 3 years!" she yelled.

"2nd time?" Now, she really had LaSalle's attention; the thought that Fod had hurt his partner once before made his blood pressure rise with rage.

Sophie's eyes shifted to the man that saved her sister's life. Her voice softened. "When I agreed to go into witness protection Adkom had the man she loved killed. "

"Brody's a big girl she knows the risks." Gibbs chimed in keeping his voice indifferent. "And so do you."

"Then let me become his target," Sophie said boldly.

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose before taking the file folder that was in his hand and slapping her upside the head with it.

Normally, this was behavior befitting an agent but Sophie was different. She had a way of getting under his skin. "We have female agents for that."

"Like my sister?" Sophie retorted in an icy tone.

"Your sister is trained," Pride added, "You aren't."

"A lot of good that did her," Sophie huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

To LaSalle, Sophie Ann Brody appeared to be fearless. But then again you'd have to be that way being married to terrorist.

* * *

><p>For the next several hours, LaSalle sat keeping vigil over his partner. He was still blown away by the mystery sister. He could hardly blame Brody given the circumstances. Having a sibling in WITSEC and not being able to talk about it must be hell. But to have to protect your sister from a well-known terrorist husband was an entirely different kind of hell.<p>

He was just about to call Pride and check in when he heard her whimper. Looking at the Midwestern native, he saw her face begin to twist. She was waking up.

Without thinking, he gently took her hand. "You're going to be okay. It's over," he said watching her eyes flutter under the dim florescent lights.

LaSalle? She managed.

"The only and only," he said giving her hand a squeeze. He didn't expect her fully wake and was surprised when her brown irises come into full view.

"God help us if there were more than one of you," she breathed trying to fight through the haze.

"Easy," he cautioned as she started to shift and let out a small cry to the host of broken bones and bruises. He watched as she tried to process and ponder her current state and all that had happened. He wondered how much she would remember.

They've managed to drug her up pretty good given the circumstances. So he doesn't expect that she'll be up to coherent conversation anytime soon. But again she surprises him. She cocks her head slightly to look at him.

"How did you find me?" She asked tiredly.

"Addy," he says releasing her hand.

Brody closes her eyes for a moment and makes a mental note to thank Addy later.

"Fod got away," he returned prompting her eyes to once again attempt to focus "Don't suppose you know where he was going?"

"No!" That meant that he was free to go after Sophie. Under the influence of painkillers, her mind began to whirl with the unthinkable. She attempted to raise her shoulders from the bed and was met with an unbearable pain. Tears began to flow freely and without forethought she began to twist about tugging on the tubes and wires that were connected to her battered body.

Mindful of her injuries, Chris did the only thing he could and engulfed her. Cheek to cheek, he whispered softly, "Sophie is safe. She's safe."

He continued to hold her until her moment of terror subsided.

"She's with Pride and Gibbs," he said as her tears died to quiet sobs.

* * *

><p>Morning came and Body watched as her partner gingerly rose up from the bedside chair. He was doing admirable job of trying to mask his own pain, but over the last several months she had come to read his expressions like a book. This morning, they were saying he was hurting.<p>

"Are you okay?"

"Just a little stiff is all," he replied ignoring the white hot burn that was beginning to ignite in his chest and rib cage. Sliding his hand into the pocket of his jacket, he realized that his pain pills were missing. They must have fallen out on his mad dash back from the elevator.

The door swung open. It was Gibbs followed by Pride.

"Looking for these?" Gibbs quipped. Without missing a beat he tossed a small brown bottle in LaSalle's direction.

"Your shift is over, Christopher," Pride said as he watched his number one choked down a couple of chalky pills, "Now go home and get some rest. Gibbs and I have something we need to discuss with Agent Brody. I'll fill you in later."

LaSalle nodded as Pride tossed him the keys to his vehicle. He wanted to stay but after nearly 48 hours without sleep and cracked ribs he had to concede.

Brody waited until her partner was gone. "What happened to him?" She asked prompting Pride's brow to furrow.

"After all that has happened you're worried about him?"

Brody felt her cheeks begin to grow warm. For reasons unknown to her, LaSalle had been on her mind all morning. "LaSalle said you have Sophie?" she countered quickly pushing the concern for her partner to the back of her mind.

It had been nearly 3 years, since she had heard from or seen her sister.

"She's safe," Pride smiled as Sophie appeared in the doorway with her handler.

"You have 5 minutes," Gibbs said as tears began to gather on Brody's lashes.

Pride felt a sprint of heat begin to climb up his neck. Two crying women; he had never been good with tears. He was just about to turn away and allow them a moment when the floor began to rumble at his feet. The sound of shattering glass and crunching metal echoed up to them from a lower floor.

"What is that?"

"Fod," Gibbs answered looking heavenward before averting his eyes to Sophie. "You wanted to be the target, you got it."

* * *

><p>LaSalle stepped out of the elevator leading to the parking garage only to be met with an explosive fire storm of debris. A car several stalls down from the elevator, exploded sending twisted metal, glass and concrete in all directions.<p>

A blinding flash illuminated all around him as a second car exploded.

Glass rained as the cinder block holding up the parking structure began to topple. He found himself powerless to stop the oncoming pavement as a piece of flying metal clipped him in the side of the head.

Trembling, pulled to his feet. His only option was the stairwell. Though, it probably wasn't the best idea to be going up a flight of stairs when the building was falling apart it was the only option he had. He was still two flights up.

Once inside the stairwell, Chris continued to dodge falling debris as he moved, stopping every so often to take in air. Climbing stairs with cracked ribs was no easy feat. He felt as though he could hardly move, let alone breathe. The air on the stairwell was beginning to fill with smoke. But he needed to make it back to the main floor of the hospital otherwise he would be trapped inside the belly of the parking structure.

* * *

><p>Alarms were starting to go off, signaling to hospital personnel to begin evacuation procedures.<p>

"What's happening?" Sophie shrieked clinging to her injured sister as a nurse entered the room.

"A bomb went off in the parking structure, we'll be moving Miss Brody as soon as we can."

Brody looked at Pride. Judging by the look on his face they were thinking the same thing.

"He'll be fine," Pride said as his cell phone came to life.

It was LaSalle.

**A/N: All I will say is that I'm trying to do my best to wrap up this chapter of story so that I can jump to the Brody/LaSalle sweetness. However, I feel the need to keep the action going until that point arrives. Hope you all will stick with me.;) **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I was debating about rewriting the end to chapter six but then thought I should finish what I had started. I also posted the first chapter to the sequel, Girl Astray, which will exclusively focus on LaSalle helping Brody get through the aftermath of her kidnapping. It will feature lots of cuddles, hugs and other things. ;). But for now, Chapter 7 of Gone Girl! Thank you for all of the lovely reviews they are truly appreciated and motivating!**

Alarms were starting to go off, signaling to hospital personnel to begin evacuation procedures.

"What's happening?" Sophie shrieked clinging to her injured sister as a nurse entered the room.

"A bomb went off in the parking structure; we'll be moving Miss Brody as soon as we can."

Brody looked at Pride. Judging by the look on his face they were thinking the same thing.

"He'll be fine," Pride said as his cell phone came to life.

It was LaSalle.

"Chris?" Pride pressed the first two fingers of his left hand over his ear to block out the exterior noise. "Chris, where are you?"

_Cough_

_Cough_

"East stair well!" LaSalle's voice came back along with the sound of falling debris.

"Get out there now!" Pride shouted.

"I'm tryin'!" LaSalle's voice echoed right before the line went dead.

"They were watching us!" Gibbs snarled. They had been set up. Fod's men had indeed been watching there every move. If Gibbs had to guess they had waited until LaSalle was on his way to the parking garage to set off the bomb.

For several moments the original probationary members of the Fed Five stared at each other. Each engrossed in their own thoughts until Pride broke the silence.

"I can't leave him down there, Jethro."

"We can't make this about LaSalle," Gibbs barked a little more loudly than he meant to. He couldn't deny he wouldn't have said the same thing if it were Tony or McGee, but they had a terrorist on the loose. There were more lives at stake than just one agent.

"He's my partner!" Brody chimed in watching her two bosses' expression's growing dark. This was the second time in less than an hour they heard her inquire about her partner's well-being.

"She's your sister!" Gibbs gave her an incredulous look as he tossed a hand in Sophie's direction. He was about the say more when Sophie's linebacker of a handler walked through the door with his weapon his hand resting at his side.

"It's Chaos out there. Fod's men could be anywhere."

"Go," Brody said calmly. "Take my sister, and get out of here." They all knew the sooner Sophie was out of New Orleans the sooner they would all be safe.

"It's going to take all three us," Gibbs looked at Pride earning a reluctant nod. The rescue of his best agent was going to have to wait.

Stilling clutching his phone, Pride handed it to Brody. "If Chris calls back you tell him, we'll be there as soon as we can."

Brody could only nod as she took the phone from his hand. How many more people were going to be hurt before Fod was stopped?

* * *

><p><em>A few moments earlier…<em>

"King?"

The fact that he had lost service really didn't surprise LaSalle. He was in burning building; a burning building which was collapsing all around him. If he could just make it back to the cat walk that separated the parking structure from the hospital he would all right.

Keep moving he coaxed through the pain. He didn't feel so well. The pain and the exhaustion he had willed away earlier were threatening to take over and at the moment they were winning.

Fight it-

He stopped for moment, resting his hands on his knees before taking the stairs two a time. Little did he realize that his world was about to come to a standstill. The flooring beneath his footing once again began to quiver.

_Another bomb?_

_Nope_

A terrifying creak of metal told him that no matter how fast he moved he wasn't going to be able to escape the fact that the structure was about to give way. He reached for the hand railing but it was too late.

The ceiling was already tumbling down upon him.

* * *

><p>Rounding up a fourth operative, Gibbs and Pride flanked Sophie while her handler opted to take the front. A four man blockade surrounded her at all sides.<p>

"Keep your eyes on everyone and keeping movin', brother," Pride scanned the immediate area, allowing everyone to be suspect. You never knew when someone was going to pull a weapon and start firing.

"You never used to talk like that," Gibbs quipped, weapon ready.

"You never used to be so serious," Pride fired back as they neared the stair well where a host of local PD officers were waiting for them to assist with the escort.

"SWAT is outside, as you've instructed," one of the men told Pride.

* * *

><p><em>Cough<em>

_Cough_

LaSalle wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious. A few minutes maybe? He wasn't certain. Taking a moment, he surveyed his surroundings. The thick dust particles were still swirling, making it hard to breathe or maybe it was all the debris he was covered in, he couldn't be certain.

Large ceiling tiles blanketed his limbs and chest, making it difficult to move. Grit and dust covered his exposed skin and stung his eyes.

One step at a time he cautioned wiggling his fingers. So, far so good. Gingerly, he twisted in effort to break free of the debris that was holding him hostage. It wasn't until he attempted to sit up that he felt it. An unforgiving pain of white burning heat was shooting through his side. Unconsciously, he cried out. At first he thought it was his ribs but then he noticed the blood. Something must have impaled him in the collapse.

Damn. He flopped back down.

He was trapped.

* * *

><p>A nurse entered Brody's room. "Miss Brody, Dr. DuShawn has ordered some anxiety medication to get you through the transition." The nurse went onto explain that they were moving patients as fast as humanly possible but it was going to take a little while.<p>

"I don't want it." She needed her mind to be clear. There would time to deal with anxiety later. Right now, she needed to concentrate on her sister and her partner. Still holding Pride's phone, she keyed in the number to the office with any luck Patton would be there manning the switchboard.

"Patton, it's Brody, I need you to do something for me." She said catching the computer whiz off-guard. "I need to track LaSalle's phone and I also need you to send blueprints of the hospital parking structure to Pride's phone.


	8. Conclusion

**A/N: Sorry, it has taken me so long to update. My muse abandoned me, and left me high and dry and with the reveal of Brody's twin I was left debating. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and alerts. **

Outside, the security detail was waiting as Gibbs and Pride escorted Sophie from the building. So, far so good. Gibbs surveyed the area quickly as Pride helped Sophie into the awaiting SUV, Her handler climbing in next.

"Go! Go!" Gibbs shouted.

This was almost too easy, Pride thought as the SUV sped off. Why would Fod go through all that trouble to blow up the parking structure just to let Sophie slide through his hands?" The thought would nag him for quite some time but at the moment he had another member of his team to save.

Gazing toward the parking structure, Pride could only watch as the building imploded upon itself with Chris trapped inside.

Gibbs looked at his old friend, noting the strain on his face. "Let's go get em"

After receiving the blue prints from Plame and confirming that Sophie was out of immediate danger, Brody set Pride's phone, next to her tablet on the overbed table, turned on the speaker and dialed LaSalle. She didn't really care for the idea of the phone being on the table, but given her broken collarbone she was hardly in a position to lift it to her ear.

"Please let there be service," she prayed as the phone started to ring.

* * *

><p>Chris had just about slipped back into the darkness when the sound of his cell phone jerked him back to life. Where was it? Turning his head he spotted lying a few inches away. Outstretching his hand, he strained to pick it up.<p>

Damn it. It was too far away. His only hope was to climb out from underneath the debris. Twisting, he managed to roll onto his bad side. Every nerve ending assaulted him as the object that had impaled him was driven deeper into his side. The pain was so intense that he thought he was going to pass out again.

Eyes squeezed tight, he stretched beyond his limits.

His fingertips were barely touching the phone. Just little more. He shifted again this time managing to make some ground by sliding on his stomach.

Got it!

"Pride?" he said, before the burning in his lungs and side got the best of him.

A fit of coughs travelled through the line as he fought for air.

* * *

><p>"Chris!" Brody felt her heart, skip a beat. He sounded as though he could hardly breathe. Switching to her tablet, Brody touched the icon to FaceTime and connected with Plame.<p>

"Do you have him?"

I've got em, with any luck I'll be able to use GPS software to give you his exact location." Plame came back.

"Send them to Gibbs!" she returned before turning her attention back to her partner. "Chris, it's Brody, just hang on."

Easier said than done he thought allowing a few more coughs to escape. The air was getting thin, really thin.

"Chris? Chris, talk to me" Brody's voice sounded so faint. "Chris!"

"I'm here," he managed trying to fight off the haze that was forming due to his quickly depleting supply of oxygen.

Brody needed something to keep him going. "So, tell me about…Big Ed!"

"It's Big Al." Chris answered as he rolled back over onto his back, jostling the piece of metal in his side. "ARGH!"

"CHRIS!"

Holding his breath, he listened to Brody's desperate attempts to gain his attention until his head started to feel funny. "I'm good" he said letting all out in a whoosh.

Brody could feel her heart rate increase with fear for her partner. "Why did you get that the tattoo?"

"You already know why," he murmured, eyelids beginning to droop.

"Tell me again."

_Silence_

Chris?

"CHRIS!"

* * *

><p>Twenty-four hours later, Meredith Brody sat in a wheel chair in the ICU watching the rise and fall of her partner's chest. The doctor said that he had been lucky. If the rebar they had pulled out of his side had been couple of centimeters deeper she'd been looking at him in a coffin instead of a hospital bed.<p>

The idea that Fod had used him as a means to get to Sophie made her stomach twist, especially since it wasn't the first time.

Against her will tears pricked at her eyes. It had been just a little over two years now since her fiancée Mark, had shoved her out of the line of fire from Fod's bullet. She couldn't bare the idea of losing Chris too.

Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, she picked up the remote and turned on the TV. Football no surprise.

"Oh look! Alabama's playing! Maybe we'll get to see Big Ed." She quipped, not expecting a response.

"It's Big Al."

Brody looked over at her partner and smiled. For the moment they were both safe and alive.

* * *

><p>In hallway, Pride stood looking at them through the glass. Gibbs was beside him.<p>

"You going to tell her about Sophie?" A few hours earlier, Gibbs had gotten word that the motorcade carrying Sophie and her handler had been ambushed. Most everyone on board had been killed. A body count revealed that all had been accounted for except for one person: Sophie.

"Not until I have to," Brody had been through enough. She needed some time to recover first. When he did tell her, he was going to need Chris's help.

_Fin for now_.

**Now onto Girl Astray!**


End file.
